National Republican., 1887-07-11
MOURNING over Death.
DIR. TALMAGE TALKS PLAINLY on THE
SUBJECT.
He Thinks tho Deceased Has Experi-
eDc,d Greater JOY Than Those Who
Weep for Him-He would Have n
Change.

Weep for Him-He Would Have
Change.
THE HAMPToYs, July i0-The Brooklyn
Tabernacle being closed for enlargement, the
Rev. +. De Witt Talmnge d. d.. pastor, spends
his flrst Sabbath away from his flock the pres
ent season at this summer home. His subject
for to- day was, "From Dungeon to Palace"
and bis text, "rho time Of my departure is at
hand"-1I Timothy i've.
The way out OF this world Is so blocked up
with coffin and hcarse and undertakers spade
and screw driver that the Christian can hardly
think as he ought Of the most cheerful passage
in all his history. We hang black instead OF
white over the place wheie the good man gets
his last victory. We stand weeping over a
heap OF chains which the freed soul has shaken
of, ard we say, Poor man What pity It
was he had to come to this p Come TO what?
b y the time the people have assembled at the
obiequies that man has been three days so
haIpy that oil the Joy of earth accumulated
would be wretchedness beside 1t. and he might
better weep over you because you have to stay
1t is a fortunate thing that good man does
apies; they would be SO discordant with
Should s s5sRS o RD and moarn as oVsp Ss
brick kilns they once left, they would not be
any more silly than that Christian who should
EcnNcu ana come GOWN ana
because he had to leave this world Our IDEAS
| of the CHRISTIANS death ore morbid and sickly.
We look upon 4 as dark hole in which a
man mans s'5,es when % ms cTea,n gives out az, Ths ANS
intectants, instead OF being sweet with misno..
nette. Paul. in my text, takes that great clod
SPEAKS dd o his sna sni0Ss T ssRs Rs
suggestive word, descriptive Of every Christ
| Now, departure implies q starting place and
| n nlnpa dpkt1pAiiDu When paul left this
| world, what was the starting point? IL was O
scene of great physical distress il was the
| TulIiAnum. the lower dungeon OF the Manner
tine prison. The top dungeon was bad enough
| " having no means OF ingress or egrcss but
through an opening in the top; Through that
eGme ali he ood and air and light TsSeesad sea
| II was terrible place, that upper dungeon;
lut the Tullarum was the lower dungeon,
eS and he only air coming S ths
roof, and that roof the floor Of the upper dun
geon. That was Pauis last earthly residence.
pses ST sS, sad the ch hHf hsn
centuries Of dsmpness. IL was filthy with the
long inc8rcerations OF miserable wretches. 1t
aeS betS ba ns s DAYS
| the fearful dungeon, sbivering, blue with the
cold, waiting for that old overcoat which he
had sent for up to Troas, and which they had
written for It.
| II some tkiliful surgeon should 90 into that
dungeon where Paul Is incarcerated, we might
| find out what are the prospects OF Pauls living
through the rough imprisonment. In the first
place, he is an old man, only two years short
OF seventy. AT that very time when he most
fresh air, he is shut out from the sun, What
ore those scars on his ankles' Why those were
gotten when he was fast, his feet In the stocks.
Every time he turned the flesh on his ankles
started. What are those scars on his back? You
know he was whipped five times, each time
getting thirty nine ttrokes-one hundred and
ninety.iive bruises on the back count themD
made by the Jews with rods of elmwood, each
one Of the one hundred and ninety-nve strokes
bringing the blood Look at Pauls face and
bruises? think 1t was when he was struggling
ashore amidst tho shiyered timbers of the
shipwreck. ] see a cash In Paul's side. Where
did he get lhat2 / think he got that In the
tussle with highwaymen, for he had been in
peril of robbers and lie had money OF his own.
He Was mechanic as well as an apostle, and
think the tents he made were as good as his
There is wanness about Pauls looks What
makes iheR think part OF that came from
plank In the Mediterranean sea suffering
terribly before he was rescued, Tor he says pos
itively: II was night and day In the deep.
| Oh, worn out, emaciated old man, surely you
must be melanch0iy No constitution could
| endure this and be cheerful. But press my
way through the prison until come up close
streams through The opening see on his face
a supernatural joy, and bow before him, ant
Lay: aged man. how can You keep cheeriu
amidst ali this gloom?' His voice slartles the
darkness of the place as he cries out: ~ an
departure is al hand" Hark! what is tnai
Paul has ON Invitation to banquet and he is
going TO dine today with the king. Those
shuiiiing feet are the feet Of the eTecutioners.
hole of the dungeon; Hurry up. old man
Paul was ready. He had nothing to pack uD
ready good while. see him rising up, ant
Strengthening out his ssiiilened limbs, aud push
ing back his white hair from his creyiced fore
h, ad, and see him looking up through the hol,
in the Roof of the dungeon into the face of hi
exccutioner, ai hear him say: ~ am nov
ready to be SfeIed, and The time M nf my my depar
the dur geon, and they start with him to thu
place OF execution. They say: Hurry along
old man or yo,n VIII feel the weight Of oG
Three miles is good way for an old man t
travel after, he has been whipped an'
crippled with mnltreatment. But they sooi
ssiyia- and nd he is fastened to IL,
pillar Of marty room, II does not take an!
sistance. oh Paul why not strike for you
life? You have great many friends here
with that withered hand just launch th
soldiers. No Paul was not going to inierfer
with his own coronation. He was too glad Z
20. i see him looking up 10 the face of hi
The sword, Paul calmly Gays: ~ am now read
10 be offered, and the time of my departure
ut hand" But put my hand over my eyes
keen stroke, and Paul does go to the banquet
and Paul does dine with the King.
What transition II was From the malari
of Rome to the finest climate In all the uni
versc-the zone of eternal beauty and health
HIS ashes were put In the cataGombs of Rome
but IN one moment the air OF heaven bathe
from dungeon, from the biting pain of IN
elm wood Iods from the sharp sword of thu
hea9sman, he goes into the most brilliant as
multitvdes of the sainthood rushing out an
stretching forth bands of welcomes. for d
reilly think that as on the right hand Of Go
is Christ 50 ON tho right hand Of Christ Is Pau
he changed Kings likewise. Before the hou
OF death. and up TO the last moment. he wa
the filthylipped; the scuiptured features o
that man bringing down 10 us to this very da!
the horrible possibilities Of his nature.-seatet
under roof adorned with mother o;.pearl 4
a dining room which by machinery was ker
whirling day and night with most bewitchin
magni6ceIce; his horses standing in stalls G
solid gold, and the grounds around his pa'ac
lighted AT night by its victims, who had bee
danbtd with tar ana pitch and then set on tir
to illuminate the darkness That was Paup
king. Put the next moment he goes into tn
realm Of Him whose reign Is love, and who's
courts are paved with love. and whose thron
IL set on pillars OF love, and whose soepter
adorned with jewels of love. and whose pa
ace is lighted with love and whose lifetime
an eternity Of love When Taul was leavin
so n ucb on this side the pillar of martyrdor
10 gain so much on The other side, do you wor
der at the cheerful valedicloIy of the tex
The time of my departure IL AT hand"
Now, why can not all the old people of tn
/ | congrePatlon have the same holy glee as thu
old man had? CharlrB /, when he was CONT
r ing his head found gray hair, and he seq
/ | IL 10 the Quct n as q great iuke; but old age